Light in the shadows
by Eldritchbeast
Summary: Fifteen years after Beyond the Shadows, Logan Gyre is High King and his reign is prosperous. But what happens when his son prophecizes the doom of Midycru? Logan must fight to save his kingdom and his family, for which he must find the fabled Hope Crystal in the heart of Khalidor. Perhaps an old friend can help, but the lines between friend and enemy are blurred. Whom can he trust?
1. Chapter 1: Calm before the storm

Chapter 1

Logan Gyre, High King of Midycru, Vanquisher of Khalidor and husband to Queen Jenine was late for dinner. Again. This time it honestly wasn't his fault. The maja representative from the Chantry, bearing a personal message from the Speaker Sister Viridiana had taken more time to deal with than he had thought and so the meeting with the Seth ambassador had been delayed so he had had to postpone his appointment with the Lae'knaught ambassador Tertulus… Ah, gone were the days when all a Cenarian king had to do was hide in his palace when the people revolted.

But not in his reign. Logan was High King of Cenaria and Khalidor, ally of Lae'knaught and Ceura.

He had more duties and responsibilities than he had thought possible. He had been prepared for all the headache when he had claimed the throne, no doubt, but sometimes his wife's schedule was hard to meet.

Logan hurried down the corridor, flanked by his faithful guard and companion, captain of the Order of the Garter Kadrosa Wyn. Behind her were two squadrons of her soldiers, all of them wearing shiny garters on their arms, and a few of Agon's Dogs. All in all there were almost thirty people trailing behind Logan at all times.

This miniature army guarded the High King and his family constantly. Eyes scanning every shadowy corner and every empty corridor, muscles perpetually tensed in anticipation of an unseen threat, they kept Logan alive.

Already there had been sixteen assassination attempts in fourteen years, ten of which had been in the first five years of Logan's reign, while he had yet to consolidate his kingdom. Kaldrosa bore a scar proudly on her cheek, a mark she had gotten when she had come too close to an assassin's Baldwin Logan's defence. Logan would not have lived this long if it hadn't been for his guards and he was grateful for their service.

Logan was a big man. Tall and broad with a head of unruly hair, blue eyes bright and twinkling with crow's feet and smile lines bracketing them and his mouth, carrying an aura of authority and majesty, Logan Gyre was a High King in every sense of the word. He wore rich clothes of red and gold sewn with his emblem, the gyrfalcon. His longsword he wore at his hip. The pommel of his sword was plain and dark, braided with silver and steel.

As Logan passed one of his meeting rooms, Duke Wesseros and the Lae'knaught ambassador stepped into his path.

Duke Wesseros beamed. "Ah, Your Majesty! Perfect timing. As I was just telling Tertulus here, it is my understanding that you have no more obligations for the day. As you both are here now, your meeting-"

Logan cut him off mid sentence, "Duke Wesseros, your understanding is wrong, actually. Ambassador Tertulus, I apologize to you for my haste and rudeness but as you can see, I am already late to meet my wife. I will try to accommodate you tomorrow, Ambassador."

The ambassador sneered. Wesseron's smile was not unlike a grimace.

Logan smiled at them both, nodded politely and bypassed them. As they walked away, Logan told Kaldrosa, "Make sure they get an audience with me tomorrow. It won't pay to put off the Lae'knaught any longer." Kaldrosa nodded.

Logan finally reached the massive and gaudy doors of the royal apartments. He had been meaning to change those to something understated and less conspicuous but never found the time for these smaller jobs. Just one more thing to add to the list.

Logan paused at the door long enough to hear high pitched voices shrieking muffled thumps of delicate objects landing on soft plush carpets.

Smiling, he strode into the large room and right into the middle of a giant pillow fight. It was boy's against girls. The royal princes and princesses, noble heirs to the High King and his Queen, were throwing large overstuffed pillows across the entire room. They screamed and squealed as pillows hit their mark and goose feathers floated around the room to land in dark disheveled hair. Projectiles that missed their targets instead hit expensive and irreplaceable antiques like the thousand year old Khalidoran vases or the Ceuran paintings hanging upon the wall. These either fell to the ground unharmed or were completely destroyed. There had never been a battlefield more chaotic.

Logan laughed as he tried to maneuver through the minefield, avoiding sharp toys and squealing bodies underfoot. He reached the other end of the room, where Queen Jenine was watching her children. She was a beautiful woman even at thirty years. Her long dark hair now had a few strands of silver in it and her warm face was wrinkling. This just made her even more attractive to Logan.

She watched him approach her. "Well, I think you know by now but you're late for dinner."

"I know," Logan sighed.

"Again," she added, almost like an afterthought. She glanced at him sidelong.

"Again," he agreed. "But this wasn't like last time. I did not go to the stables and get kicked by a horse again. It was all Vi's fault this time. She sent me a letter so I had to delay the rest of my meetings. I even had to cancel the negotiations with Lae'knaught."

She smiled at him sadly. He knew she understood the responsibilities of ruling. "I just want us all to have a nice dinner together, as a family. Once a week isn't too much to ask, is it?"

Logan winced. "I know," he said a second time.

The children finally seemed to notice their father. They climbed over each other to be the first to reach him. Logan laughed as he hugged every one of them.

Jenine had borne him seven strong and lively children. The twins were his oldest. Regnus and Kael were the sons Jenine had borne from her previous marriage to Godking Wanhope, who later was found out to be the mad prophet Dorian. Logan had raised the twins as his own and never let them think that he did not love them as his sons and heirs.

Regnus was the older twin. He was tall and handsome with hints to his Khalidoran father's colouring and features. He was a natural leader and charismatic commander. He was best at strategies in the battlefield and his skill with the sword was better than Logan's could ever be.

Kael on the other hand was his polar opposite. He had dark messy hair and his eyes were almost black with hints of blue. He was thin and gangly, easy to slip through small gaps in windows or in between people in a crowd. He was a pensive and solitary boy who preferred to find high places to climb where he could be alone. He bore an uncanny resemblance to someone Logan thought he would never see again.

The only thing Kael showed interest in was swordplay. He was swift and agile with an innate understanding of his opponent's movements. He could best anyone of his age, even his brother Regnus. He had even beaten some veterans of war and left them stunned and nursing bruises. Logan had become hard pressed to find a suitable instructor for the boy prodigy.

Logan's younger children were the most lively and wonderful lot he had ever seen. After Regnus and Kael came Serah. She was twelve years old and already a beauty, with her mother's features and her father's sparkling eyes. She would break the hearts of all the boys, but for now she was charmingly ignorant of it.

Nalia, Dorian and Lilly were almost triplets. Each separated by a year yet they were inseparable. They were the tricksters and would play pranks on anyone who was naïve enough to think they were safe. They all had their father's curly hair and a mischievous smirk on their faces. There was no place in the palace they had not explored.

The youngest one of them was Elene. She was the sweetest, most sincere person Logan had ever seen. She had the hands of a healer even at five years of age and always helped her siblings bandage their various cuts and bruises. She was the voice of reason for all of them. For some reason, Elene and Kael were closest to each other. She would follow Kael around even when he growled at her. In return Kael would growl at her less than any other sibling. He would buys her sweets and place them under her pillow to hide them from their mother. Elena was the delight of the family.

Logan spent as much time as he could with his children. He listened to their stories, looked at their drawings and played games with them. They did not release him until he could not stifle the yawns any longer and Jenine shooed them away to bed.

As Logan was going to his bed, he saw a drawing under the litter on the floor. He picked it up. It looked crude and childish, as though done with a shaky hand, but it was unmistakably a drawing of the Hole.

Logan shuddered at the memory of the time he had spent in the prison meant for the worst criminals. He had never truly recovered from the horrors he had witnessed in the Hole and worst, the ones he had committed himself. Jennie still had to wake him up from night terrors. She would hold him close and rock him while he slowed his pounding heart and banished the images. For one of his children to have seen it and drawn it… Why hadn't they told him? And why hadn't the prison guards found them and informed him if they had sneaked in?

Jennie saw the troubled look on his face but did not press him. She offered her strength and courage so that he could bear with the burden. Logan smiled at her in reassurance and gratitude.

The royal couple retired for the night. They climbed into bed and held each other close. In the arms of his wife and still feeling the warmth of his children's love, Logan could believe he was capable of bearing responsibility for entire Midycru. But he had a nagging feeling that this respite and happiness was just the calm before the storm, and the storm would be larger and more devastating than anything he had ever seen before.


	2. Chapter 2: Trumpets of war

Chapter 2

Logan strode down the long corridor, cloak flapping behind him like waves in the sea and boots announcing his arrival to his subjects. Why was he always late?

Logan had read the letter than Sister Viridiana had sent him. It was not a happy story.

A few of the magae in the Chantry had all had the same dream a fortnight ago. They had seen the royal palace of Cenaria surrounded by enemies, Logan's family imprisoned and executed, Midycru in flames. When he had read the letter Logan could not help remembering the drawing he had found in his children's room of the Hole. Something was coming.

As Logan walked to his appointment with the Lae'knaught ambassador Tertulus, he was joined by the head of his army, General Hile. He had been chosen as the replacement for General Agon after his death five years earlier. Hile was a crafty strategist and shrewd commander. He was often called the Fox due to his subterfuge in the battlefield and his appearance. He had red hair like the animal he was nicknamed after and had small close set eyes. He was fiercely loyal to the crown but would not hesitate to tell Logan when he was being stubborn. He was a valuable man to Logan, especially when the king had lost a friend as well as a general upon Agon's death.

Logan dreaded the meeting with the Lae'knaught. After the Battle of Midycru fifteen years earlier, Lae'knaught had kept to their arrangement with Cenaria. They had provided men, food and help to Cenaria in dealing with their war ravaged country as well as the dredges of resistance in Khalidor. Logan had tried to abolish poverty and provide help to the guild rats- the poor children and pick pockets in Cenaria. After Kylar… How could he do otherwise?

And Lae'knaught had helped him as much as Ceura or Seth. But two years ago there had been civil war in Lae'knaught. Their new leader was a man called Tantalus. He was young and ambitious, head strong and arrogant. He believed in Lae'knaught having the only 'pure' heritage in all of Midycru and envisioned his kingdom dominating the world. However, Tantalus was a shrewd politician and businessman. He could afford to wait for a few years until Lae'knaught reached its prime.

A year ago he had offered Cenaria a deal. Tantalus wanted Cenarian gold in exchange for Lae'knaught's continued support and friendship. He had sent Tertulus, the ambassador that Logan had forced to make a political accord with Cenaria and Lae'knaught fifteen years prior. Now Tertulus had come on behalf of his new master to discuss the terms of their agreement with Cenaria.

Tantalus wanted Khalidor.

Lae'knaught and Khalidor had centuries of bad blood between them. After Logan, Kylar and their allies had destroyed the vurdmiesters of Khalidor, they had effectively removed Khalidor's tyrannical rulers and enforcers.

Over the years Logan had purged Khalidor of any residual malice and evil magic. He had tried to give innocent and suppressed Khalidorans a chance to become part of the new, peaceful kingdom he was building. For their part, after they had gotten over the initial shock of being free for the first time in centuries, the Khalidorans had enthusiastically participated in the betterment of their country. Now they had become an integral and beneficial part of Midycru. The Khalidorans made intricate jewellery and artistic items with the remnants of the vurd. Their trade relationships with Ceura and Seth were growing every year.

Logan was the ruler of both Cenaria and Khalidor directly. In Ceura, Lantano Garuwashi had sworn fealty to the High King. Until now Ceura and Cenaria had maintained mutually beneficial trade relationships. Seth as well was a dependable ally of Cenaria and Logan. Maybe the fact that Logan's old friend and mentor Solonariwan Tofusin was now the king of Seth had something to do with it.

But now Lae'knaught was threatening their hard earned peace. Tantalus wanted to raze Khalidor to the ground and salt the earth. All those who stood against him would suffer his ire.

Logan could not allow Lae'knaught to destroy Khalidor. Already he had repelled several Lae'knaught squadrons from skirmishes in Khalidor. Tantalus, loathe to lose a valuable ally, had offered Logan many opportunities to surrender Khalidor but to no avail.

Now their ambassador awaited him in meeting room. Logan did not want to, but if the Lae'knaught pushed him further he would have to respond with force. No matter what, Khalidor would not be sacrificed to Tantalus' greed.

Logan entered the meeting room with a swish of his rich fur cloak and an imperious look about him. It would not do to show any weakness to the predatory Lae'knaught delegate.

Tertulus stood in deference to the High King. He gave Logan a short bow, nothing more than he absolutely had to. His beady eyes held a predatory gleam, like he was waiting for his prey to walk into his trap. Logan had a bad feeling that he was the prey.

They took their seats. Logan did not raise his voice but nevertheless everyone present heard the steel in it.

"I hope that today at least we can come to an agreement, ambassador. I would hate to drag this issue for any more time. It has already vexed me that we cannot simply agree with each other yet."

The ambassador smiled thinly. "But of course, Your Majesty. I too regret the time wasted upon trivial matters when we could have come to an arrangement sooner."

Logan's eyes narrowed.

The ambassador carried on. "No doubt we will come to terms today, High King."

"So what is it you want? Tell me clearly, and no dithering," Logan said.

The ambassador leaned forward slightly. "King Tantalus simply wants Your Majesty to acquiesce Khalidor to him, that he may take from them all the Lae'knaught lives they took in the war fifteen years ago," he said.

Logan frowned in disapproval. "That's called murder, ambassador. Beside, it wasn't just Lae'knaught who lost their lives that day. In war, there is no such thing as a victory without lives lost on both sides. Besides, we have already made peace with Khalidor. They are now my subjects as much as the Cenarians. Do tell me, _why_ would I allow you to slaughter my people?"

The ambassador leered. He said, "Of course, you could refuse us. But then our woodcraft is one of a kind. And I understand that Cenaria has a large market for woodworking…"

Logan flushed in anger. He asked in a cold voice, "Are you threatening me, Lae'knaught? Do you dare threaten the High King of Midycru? I could have you thrown in the dungeons for less."

The ambassador shifted in his seat but said nothing.

Logan leaned back. "That's what I thought. Now go tell your master that Khalidor is not yours. You will have to contend yourself with the fact that Khalidor brings income to Cenaria and many of your other trade partners, which in turn makes Lae'knaught richer than it was fifteen years ago."

Tertulus pulled a wry face. He said, "You must understand that this cannot suffice-"

Logan roared. "It will suffice for your king, ambassador! If it doesn't, then seek new allies for your country. Cenaria will deal with you no longer."

The ambassador turned cold. His face twisted into a mask of cruelty and his eyes spewed hatred. "You think you're all so smart, so strong, you Cenarians," he said. "One king who holds the tatters of his country like a housewife clutching her skirts will not stop us. We will have Khalidor. Tantalus will reign supreme!"

The room was quiet. Then Logan stood and headed for the door. "Take him to the dungeons."

He walked away to the sounds of the guard's bearing the Lae'knaught ambassador to the dungeons. And the day had barely started.


	3. Chapter 3: Shadow falling upon the land

Chapter 3

Kael Gyre was a smart boy. If he could get himself into trouble, then he can get himself out of it. At least, that's what he told himself as he balanced on a narrow ledge the width of his hand.

He teetered precariously on the edge of the ledge. A fly breaking wind next to him could tip him over. He inched over to the corner of the ledge and tried to make his way around the bend to the safety of an open window. He glanced down and immediately regretted it. Five stories up the palace wall was not a good place to sightsee. He swallowed the bile and inched his way to the window.

Kael had ended up in this predicament because of an unfortunate encounter with a cat. Earlier that afternoon he had been walking through the palace courtyard when he had spied an orange tabby slipping begin some crates stacked against the wall. The creature had been dangerously thin and scabrous from old, infected wounds. He went after her so he could take her to Cook for some food and a warm bath. Father had always taught his children compassion towards all creatures, and besides, Kael needed the entertainment. He had squeezed his long, gangly frame into the gap behind the crates with little difficulty when the cat discovered some on had entered her space. She didn't like it.

The cat had attacked him, a furry puffball of feline fury, and Kael hadn't stood a chance against her. The crates had toppled over, disturbing the commute in the courtyard. The princes' swordmaster, Master Renbrook spied Kael as he scooped the cat up and sprinted away. The weapon master was a strict disciplinarian and he hadn't appreciated Kael's antics.

He had set the palace guards on Kael's trail and the prince had run from them to escape his teacher's discipline, but fortune hadn't favoured him. Kael had run straight into a dead-end and seeing no easy escape, he had quickly scaled the palace wall, which was how he had ended up in his current position. Even the ungrateful cat had abandoned him.

Kael slowly made his way to the open window and threw himself through it as soon as he could. He fell on his side and jarred his elbow but the minor discomfort did not stop him from rejoicing in his sheer mortality. He lay on the floor and panted with victory.

"Ha ha!" He soon sat up, took one glance around the room and immediately blanched. He sat in his father's study, the king's war room.

He definitely wasn't supposed to be here. The king had expressly denied his mischievous children access to the large room. The walls were covered floor to ceiling in detailed maps of most places in Midycru. There were many sturdy tables, all laden with heavy tomes about various subject, from war and strategy to philosophy, and more maps. A chessboard sat in the corner of the room in front of a sunny window with a glass of wine next to it. The game was still in progress. It looked like Logan had merely stepped out for a moment and could return anytime, which spelled disaster for his truant son.

Kael slipped past the overburdened tables, trying as hard as he could to not disturb even a mote of dust. Just as he reached the big oak door he heard the sound of a boot striking stone floors just outside the door. He scrambled for cover and ducked behind a cloth-covered tea table just in time to avoid the notice of the king and his guards.

Logan walked into his war room followed by his guards, Lord Hile and his other advisors. Kael muffled a sound of distress and tried to curl further inwards to avoid their notice. His only hope lay in waiting them out, then sneaking back to his rooms.

Logan walked past Kael to the biggest table which was surprisingly clutterfree. He spun around to confront his nervous retinue and said without preamble, "Lae'knaught has declared war upon Cenaria."

His advisors all gave aborted shouts of shock and dismay before they quieted to hear their king speak. Logan ignored them. "Tantalus has declared war upon us because of our ill treatment of his ambassador, despite it him being the first to cause offense." Logan's tone was wry. "We must prepare for bloodshed as much as possible. Lord Hile, what is our position?"

The General replied steadily, "Our standing army has about three thousand units ready for immediate deployment. Our armory is fully stocked with fifteen thousand arrowheads and shafts, six thousand blades and five thousand sets of cavalry armour. We can fight with these for a few weeks of hard battle."

"Good." Logan hesitated. "There is one thing I wished to share with my trusted counsellors. Remember, this news cannot leave the walls of this room."

The members present in the room nodded their acceptance. Kael kept his mouth shut, barely daring to breathe.

Logan called out, "Come tell them what you told me. "

From an alcove behind Logan, the crown prince Regnus Gyre stepped into sight. All the councillors watched him with blank faces carefully schooled to show no expression. From his hiding place, Kael sucked in a breath from shock. Already this meeting had shown him how secretive and important Logan's news was, but he could not imagine what Regnus had to do with anything. He watched his twin intently through the gauzy material of the cloth.

Regnus stood in front of the assembled nobles and took a steadying breath. He glanced at his father and then began. "Three nights ago I had a dream. I dreamt that Cenaria was besieged by enemies bearing penants I haven't seen before. The palace was burning and my father's flag was lying in the mud next to his sword. I saw a pit where my family was kept as prisoners. I have had this dream every night since, and hence I thought it wasn't like any other dream. It had a sense of urgency to it, so I told Father."

Logan spoke now, "My son speaks the truth. He drew me a picture of the pit he spoke of and it is the Hole. I know he has never seen it and yet he gave me every detail of the Hole, right down to the shaft at the center and the pit beneath it. This proved to me that Regnus' dreams were actually visions."

Kael was stunned. Prophets were valuable to kings but they were invariably considered to be mad. That his twin was a prophet shocked him beyond anything he could think of.

Logan patted Regnus' shoulder in encouragement and nodded to him to continue. Regnus braced himself and said, "I also saw a man with dark hair walking through a dry and cracked region with fires burning around him. I did not know where it was exactly but I saw him holding something in his hand. It was about the size of an egg and it glowed with orange light. That was all I could make out before I woke up."

The Cenarians all looked at one another and then at the king. Logan confirmed their suspicions. "The Hope Crystal. "

Lord Hile frowned in thought, "The Hope Crystal hasn't been seen since the age of Jorsin Alkestes. It was thought to be destroyed during the Betrayal. How is it possible… "

Logan nodded to accede the point. He said, "I have a source in Khalidor that I trust unequivocally. They have confirmed the existence of the Crystal, but I do not know its exact location, except that my source confirms that the Crystal is in a place much like that Regnus described. I have sent search parties but none have returned." Logan hesitated, "However, I received this news from my source a few months back. He hasn't been in contact since. So I do not know how relevant the information is currently."

The king's advisors nodded. Immersed in thought, Kael had almost forgotten that he wasn't supposed to be in the room with the council. He was pondering the implications of all he had heard so far that he almost missed it.

Logan and the war council saw it almost at the same time. Thick black smoke was seeping through the cracks in the only door to the map room and clogging the open window. It started to choke them until Kaldrosa threw open the doors to the room.

Logan grabbed Regnus and steered his eldest son out of the room while the councillors, accompanied by the king's guards poured out the door with cloth held to their noses.

Kael crouched under the table until they left the room and he could wait no longer. He scrambled from his hiding spot and fled out of the room in the opposite direction his father and brother had gone. His heart pounded inside his rib cage and his lungs laboured as he ran to his mother's chambers and the nursery. He had to protect his siblings.

As Kael reached the ornate door leading to his parents' chambers, his heart leapt to his throat. The door had been forced open and hung crookedly from one hinge. The fire had started inside the room and had spread to the drapes on the large windows in the hallway. The thick black smoke choked him as he stood there, stunned to immobility. There was no trace of his family.

Kael watched the flames consume his parents' room when a soldierin unfamiliar colours rounded the corner and spied him. He immediately shouted to his fellows and raced towards Kael with his naked blade in hand and his companions at his back. The boy was forced out of his shock and he turned around and ran back the way he had come. Kael was unarmed and he had no illusions about his ability to defeat the squadron of soldiers. His only hope was in finding his father before he was caught.

He ran past panicked servants and burning rooms until he heard the clash of steel against hard steel. Kael took one last look at his pursuers before he headed to the sounds of battle and came face to face with a bloodied sword. Kaldrosa quickly pulled up her blade before Kael skewered himself upon it.

"My prince! You must not be here," she started before she saw the bloodthirsty soldiers behind Kael. She thrust the youth behind her and threw herself upon the soldiers while they were caught off guard.

Kael looked around for a weapon to defend himself with. He spied a thin rapier lying underneath a dead palace guard and he stooped to pick it up, before something was hurled at him and he was bowled over, the wind driven from his lungs.

He tried to pick himself off the ground when he recognized the weight lying across him as Regnus. Kael looked up to see the biggest man he had ever seen before and his eyes widened.

The brute was huge; thick bull neck planted on shoulders as wide as a cart. His fists were each as big as Kael's skull and could have easily crushed it too. The man's bald head almost brushed the ceiling, and he had huge brass knucklebusters wrapped around his thick fingers and knuckles. He advanced upon Kael and the unconscious Regnus with malice radiating from his tiny piggy eyes.

Kael shoved his brother off and snatched up the rapier. He settled into a ready stance, with limbs loose and coiled like a snake waiting to strike.

The giant hollered and staggered towards him, his small eyes red with rage and bloodlust. He raised a hand as big as Kael's head and brought it down with all the force of a charging bull, right towards Kael. The boy leaped out of the way, nimble as a jungle cat and swung the rapier at the giant's unprotected back.

The blade caught the giant on his shoulder blade and opened a cut as long as Kael's arm. It didn't seem to slow him down and the giant turned to smash Kael.

Kael leaped out of the way and executed a series of complex attacks on the giant, but the man merely shrugged them off as he grabbed at Kael again. Kael's eyes widened as the giant caught the rapier's thin edge in his meaty hand and simply snapped the blade. He tossed the blade aside with all the heed of a bear throwing a twig and he grabbed Kael by the neck and squeezed.

Feeling his air cutting off, Kael panicked to free himself. He aimed a kick at the giant's groin but his only reaction was a tighter grip on his throat. Kael began to hyperventilate as his face turned blue. His struggles weakened and the edges of his vision began to blacken. He gasped to try and get his last breath when suddenly he was released and he fell to the floor abruptly.

Kael gasped in air greedily until he no longer felt the urge to vomit and then he looked up to see the most marvelous sight in the world.

The giant was engaged in a fight with the king himself, and the former was being beaten back. Logan had his opponent on the defensive, his longsword glistening with the giant's blood. His powerful blows were having a larger impact on the giant than Kael's precise cuts.

The king swung his longsword at the giant, never letting the man have space to regroup. He kept up his ferocious attack, hammering blow after blow upon the brute. The giant bellowed uselessly but he could not land a decent blow upon Logan. The king lunged with his blade at the giant's throat and finally drove the man to his knees.

The giant fell gracelessly on his knees as the life left his eyes, and he collapsed on the floor right Ned to a stunned Kael. The prince could not tear his eyes from the brute's dead ones until Logan placed his large hand on his shoulder and pulled him to his feet.

Kael dazedly looked at his father while Logan's eyes roamed over his face and body, searching for any visible damage. The king spoke softly, "Are you hurt?" Kael shook his head silently.

Logan briskly nodded and turned to Kaldrosa. Kael just then realized that the battle was over and the enemy soldiers had been killed or had fled. The king's guards had gathered around them, one of them holding Regnus in her strong arms. The king spoke to Kaldrosa, "We must leave the castle immediately, before they bring reinforcements and it becomes too late. We shall leave through the west servants' exit, as it is closest and leads us to the shelter of the forest. Gather our wounded and move fast."

Kael mechanically followed his father as they headed down a narrow stone passageway with few doors. The made their way to an unassuming wooden door which led to a chamber with a heavier stone door. It took the strength of the king and a few of his uninjured guards to move the door and they quietly slipped away into the cover of the darkening dusk, the Cenarian palace burning behind them.


	4. Chapter 4: Flight

Chapter 4

His Royal Highness the prince Kael Gyre of Cenaria was in a sorry state. A very sorry state indeed. The fancy new clothes his mother the queen had ordered for him were covered in mud, dust and dried blood so that their original colour was unidentifiable. His comfortably worn boots were crusted in mud and decaying forest matter. He kept finding leaves and twigs in his hair every time he ran his fingers through it. He kept stumbling over unseen rocks and roots in the dark. Kael was tired, dirty and hungry but he barely acknowledged his discomforts as he walks through the dark forest.

After the traumatic attack upon Kael's home by unidentified soldiers, Kael had blindly stumbled through the forest after his father. The king's guard surrounded the king and his sons, some scouting ahead and some watching the trail behind them for signs of pursuit.

Kael plodded mechanically behind his father. He barely noticed his surroundings through the haze in his mind. He could only ask himself a slew of questions again and again while he walked- Who had attacked the royal family of Cenaria? Whose colours were those soldiers wearing? What had happened to his family? Had they escaped, or had they been captured? There was another alternative that Kael's weary mind shied away from. He looked at his father's broad back and wondered if he was also worried about his family, but was able to hide it better. He had tried to ask Logan about it, but had been told firmly that the time for questions would come later. Kael was also worried about his brother, but the king did not seem concerned about Regnus, so Kael tried to control his anxiety, on that issue at least.

The one thing that Kael chad no idea about was where the king was headed. Kael hoped that his father had managed to send the queen and the children away somewhere safe, and that they were going towards them.

Kael took heart in the fact that the king wasn't searching for any escapees, or looking around for corpses. He did not seem concerned with anyone else being in the woods apart from enemy soldiers. He marched onwards tirelessly, as if with a clear purpose, but Kael couldn't see what they were headed for. There was nothing in the west as far as he knew, but he hoped Logan stopped them for a rest soon, since Kael's feet were already blistering and aching.

As Kael tripped over yet another root, he noticed Regnus stirring and grimacing slightly in the arms of the soldier carrying him. The young woman, Garielle, also seemed to notice this and called for a halt.

Kael was so grateful for his brother finally waking up that he no longer felt his various aches and pains. Logan made his way to Regnus and they both knelt next to him.

Regnus squinted and then opened his eyes, "Father? Kael? What happened?"

Kael grinned at his twin. "You got a bump the size of a goose egg on your thick skull, dimwit. You were unconscious."

Regnus groggily blinked back, then turned to Logan, "Was the attack on the castle a dream?"

Regnus' words shocked Kael back to reality. He remembered the secret council meeting he had been an unintended part of, like it had happened in another life, though it had only been a few hours since then. The discovery that Regnus was a prophet came back to Kael suddenly, like a bucket of ice had been poured down the back of his shirt.

Kael tried to keep his face blank despite the fresh turmoil in his mind. He had almost blurted something out of shock but had managed to clamp down his words.

Logan shot Regnus a quelling glare and tipped his head slightly in Kael's direction, almost a casual gesture, but Kael had noticed it.

The king helps Regnus to sit upright. "I am sorry, Regnus, but the attack on the castle was real. And most of all," Logan looked at both of his sons, "I am sorry I could not keep you both safe and away from the fighting."

Kael could not control himself any longer. "Father, what happened to Mother and the kids?"

Logan answered slowly, "Your mother and the children were sent away through a secret passage in our chambers. I got them out, but before Regnus could follow we were cut off. I was able to close the passage before it was noticed, but after the room was set on fire we couldn't use that passegeway anymore. So we came to find you and escape another way."

Kael went almost weak-kneed with relief. He asked shakily, "Are we going to where they are, then? Where is that, anyway?"

Logan looked at him sadly and shook his head. "I'll tell you the rest once we go a bit further. It is still not safe for such talk now."

He wouldn't hear another word after that, and their small company made their way through the dark forest again, with Regnus leaning slightly on the soldier Garielle.

Kael's mind was slightly clearer after his main concerns were relieved, so he was able to observe the soldiers accompanying them. There were five garters including Kaldrosa as well as two of Agon's Dogs.

Garielle was an attractive woman with dark skin and curly dark hair. Kael had sparred with her quite regularly, and he knew that she was a canny fighter with the speed of a pouncing cat. She had a gash on her forehead that bled freely but it didn't seem to concern her overdue.

The other three women were also veteran members of the kings guards and were strong fighters. Nira was a steel gray woman who lived her life as disciplined as a priestess. She had only a small cut on her arm and didn't seem injured otherwise.

Dark haired Jessa was an archer with serious gray eyes. She held a strong yew bow with an arrow already notched on it, ready to fire at the slightest sign.

The youngest woman was Saloni, a blonde beauty with a sharp blade and sharper tongue. She carried curved double sabres and no shield. Her unique fighting style had earned her Kael's respect and interest.

The two Dogs with them were brothers, Jonas and Dillan. They were twins, but opposite like the sun and the moon. Slim Jonas was an archer and burly Dillan fought with a huge battle axe. All the soldiers were loyal to the king and as they loped beside him and behind him, Kael felt more secure in their midst.

They kept walking until Kael noticed a slight brightening of the forest around him. They had walked all night and now dawn was approaching. Logan soon stopped them for a short rest and to treat only the most severe wounds.

Kael immediately collapsed on the leafy forest floor. He pulled off his boots and gingerly checked the blisters on his heels. A hand stopped him from poking at them, and Saloni smiled at him. "If you do that, you'll rupture them, my prince."

She ripped strips of cloth off the edge of her long tunic and wrapped them tightly around Kael's feet. As she worked Kael could smell her hair- a rich earthy scent that he thought suited her.

Soon Logan called for them to resume their journey. Kael levered himself off the ground with a quiet groan but fell into step with the others.

They had not walked for even half an hour when they heard the loud jangle of armour. Logan immediately halted them and they scrambled for cover in the dense undergrowth.

Saloni kept a strong hand wrapped around Kael's arm as they crouched behind a stand of blackberry bushes. Kael tried to see through the small gaps in the brambles. He could also see fat black berries hanging within reach and his stomach rumbled. Saloni's hand clamped tighter on his arm, almost cutting off blood supply.

They stayed there, quiet as mice, for what seemed like ages as the armoured soldiers came closer. Soon Kael could hear what they spoke to each other. It sounded like the soldiers had been part of the attack on Kael's home and were celebrating their victory with bottles of fine liquor from the king's personal collection.

"Oy! Ladsh remember how tha' sherving wench ran from ush! She had th' prettiest legsh, ya! Too bad she couldn't shpread 'em eashily when I shaid! Or she might've been alive now an' we could'a kept her for the journey, like a sh-sh-shnack!" This was greeted by raucous laughter from the others and a loud cheer for someone who's name Kael couldn't catch. A few more comments were too slurred to understand.

"Too bad, eh, we never found tha' queen o' theirs! I heard it said tha' she was one fine wench! We could'a kept her as our cook! A queen for our cook! Tha' would'a been just fine."

Kael's blood began to boil. They had impugned his mother's honour! He longed to jump at them and make them eat their words. Saloni, crouched beside him, clapped a strong hand on his mouth and shook her head firmly.

Kael's tried to break out of her hold. She pinched his arm tightly until it hurt and then let him go before he could make a sound.

Kael sullenly subsided. His rage was no longer out of control but it had not reduced one iota. He swore silently that the people who had attacked his home would pay for their crimes.

The soldiers came onto the forest path that, only minutes ago, the king of Cenaria and his company had been on. They were all young men- arrogant in their youth and success. Many of them looked only a few years older than Kael, yet they had a cruel twist to their mouths. They carelessly waved their swords about, apparently enacting extraordinary victories over the Cenarians. They wore the device of the soldiers who had chased Kael- a white dove struck by black lightning on a field of blood red.

"You shaw all tha' gold we found in th' king'sh chambersh? Tha'sh gonna make me a very rich man." Kael recognized him as the one who had first spoken. The prince couldn't see much past the brambles but he tried to count feet or voices to find out how many soldiers were there.

One of the soldiers spoke loudly to his companions, "I drunk too much o' tha' swill those Cenarians had. I need'a take a leak." The others laughed at him and crudely suggested what else he could do in the bushes.

Kael was frozen. It sounded like the soldiers were headed towards the bushes where he and his companions were hiding. To his left, Regnus looked like a frightened rabbit. They looked at each other in silent accord as Kael slowly pried a sharp rock out of the ground in front of him.

They were not going down without a fight. It seemed inevitable that the soldiers would discover their hiding place, but the soldiers were drunk. It gave them an advantage, a chance to kill every drunk soldier. Kael knew if even one was allowed to escape, the king would be hunted down by the soldiers like an animal. If their hiding spot was discovered, they had to leave no one alive.

The soldier's heavy footsteps approached them. Kael held his breath as the man fumbled drunkenly at his trousers. He must have tripped on a rock because the man cursed and fell on his face. His companions laughed like hyenas at his state.

The drunk soldier lifted his head and rolled on his side. He was now so close that Kael could smell the stench of liquor wafting off him as he tried to stand.

The soldier lost his balance and again fell flat. He lifted his head, and his bloodshot eyes looked directly at Kael's wide ones.

"What the…"

He didn't have a chance to finish before a curved sabre swept through the bushed and stabbed him in the neck. A gurgling sound escaped his throat as the blood spurred out.

The drunk soldiers were shocked into inanimation until three king's garters leaped out of the cover of the bushes and attacked them.

"Ambush!" screamed the first soldier as he was cut clean in two by Saloni's wicked blade.


End file.
